Our Board

About our Board

The Board of Directors develops guiding policies for the Co-op, assures performance and fiscal responsibility, provides a link to members, and helps define the broader vision of the Co-op. These responsibilities are spelled out in our Policy Governance Manual and our By-Laws.

NOTE: The Meeting scheduled for July 4 has been postponed and rescheduled for July 11.

NOTE: The Meeting scheduled for December 6 has been postponed and rescheduled for December 13. The location has changed (for this month only) to: Access Community Action Agency, 1315 Main Street. This is the building next to Super Stop and Shop, where Planet Fitness is now. The entry door is facing Valley St. despite a Main St address.

Meet the Board

Board of Directors:Kathleen Krider – President (2020)
Kathleen has been a member of the BOD for the Willimantic Food Co-op for a long time. Kathleen is a nonprofit administrator, lives in Coventry, and uses all kinds of her WFC-BOD training in her day job. “Being on the Food Co-op board has been a richly rewarding experience for me, I have learned so much, met so many excellent people, traveled to other excellent communities and seen great food co-ops all over the country. Not as great as ours, but still great”.

Sarah Accorsi – Vice President (2020)
Sarah has been a happy co-op member for 20+ years and a board member for the past year. She is enjoying both the learning involved in being on the board and the ability to contribute to the Willi Food Co-op. Her favorite things about the co-op are the Maine yellow-eye beans, the socks and the cheeses.

Joanne Todd – Treasurer (2022)
Joanne Todd grew up in Willimantic and lives in Scotland. She believes that the Food Coop is important to the Willimantic Community. She is privileged to serve on the Board and contribute to the coop’s vitality. Joanne is President/CEO of Northeast Family Federal Credit Union, a member-owned financial cooperative where she began as a teller. She holds a BS in Accounting and a MBA from the University of Connecticut.

Linda Brock – Secretary (2022)
Linda is pleased to find a vibrant, thriving cooperative here in Willimantic, after a few decades of “homesickness” for her early co-op experience with the venerable Weavers’ Way in Philadelphia. She believes that organic and fresh foods are important for both physical and spiritual nourishment, and enjoys supporting the co-op’s endeavors by serving as scribe for Board meetings. She and her husband Mark live in Windham Center with more cats than strictly necessary and the occasional itinerant male offspring.

Charlotte Ross (2020)
Charlotte has been a Co-op member since 2011. She is co-owner/operator of Sweet Acre Farm, her family’s business in Lebanon, so you may have eaten her head lettuce! She is extremely inspired by the Cooperative model as a way of “doing business” that prioritizes respect for the community, the environment and the values outlined in its Ends Policy instead of prioritizing profits. She loves the fact that going to the grocery store means getting to see a whole bunch of friends.

Stefan Kamola (2021)
Stefan Kamola first encountered cooperative life in college, where he was involved with the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association for four years, serving as its president during that last year. He has been a member of WFC since 2016, when he took a job in the History Department at Eastern Connecticut State University. The Co-op was actually the first place he stopped when he came into town for his interview, and he has kept coming back ever since, as has his wife Mia and their little dog, too. Stefan joined the board in the spring of 2019.

Natasha Sheer (2021)
Natasha joined the board in December 2019. She has been a member and a big fan of the coop for several years and is looking forward to training and learning from the coop’s current board members. She views membership on the board as a means for personal growth and community engagement. Natasha is a locavore who is passionate about sustainability and environmental conservation. She benefits greatly from all of the bulk items the Coop has to offer. Natasha is a Montessori teacher who currently directs the after-school care program at Oak Grove Montessori School in Mansfield. She lives in Storrs with husband, John, her 8 year old daughter, Willow, her dog Gigi and her cat, Coal.

Staff Directors:Alice Rubin – General Manager
Alice started her career in working cooperatively as a warehouse worker and truck driver for CT Coops – a wholesaler which later merged to become part of Northeast Cooperatives. She has worked at the Willimantic Food Coop since 1984.

Nancy McMerriman – Staff Representative (2020)
Nancy has been a member of the Co-op for 20+ years and a staff member for almost 4. She currently works in the Wellness Department and serves on the Co-op’s Worker’s Council. After years of owning her own businesses, Nancy loves being at the Co-op, working alongside great staff, and helping folks get and stay healthy. Nancy graduated with a BFA from UCONN. She and her husband Tim are empty-nesters living on a big swamp in Pomfret, enjoying life with their three dogs and multiple chickens.

Get Involved with a Committee!

The Co-op needs members to serve on committees to guide the direction of our co-op. If you have skills or expertise with a particular committee and want to help make a difference or help move the coop toward the goals set by the board, call to be included in the next committee meeting. Even if you are just considering it, give a call and sit in on the next meeting. Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to participate.

Bryan O’Hara (2017)
Bryan O’Hara is a local vegetable grower at Tobacco Road Farm in Lebanon. The farm has supplied the Co-op with produce for more than 20 years. Bryan strongly believes in democratic member involvement in Co-operative governance. He considers himself a Co-op enthusiast.

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